Destined Bearers
by JejuneMondegreen
Summary: An original quest. Link, a lazy-yet-adventerous farm hand, must take up the Master Sword when a mysterious sorceress threatens the newly established Hyrule, not to mention the animosity between humans and the other races. There will be Zelink.
1. Beginnings

Chapter One: Beginnings

Princess Zelda sat in her cushy red throne, rather plain looking next to the immaculate, gold and jewel encrusted, velvet setup her father had next to her. Before her stood a young page of the royal family, a frantic and worried look on his face. He was trembling and sweating, his head low and his hat clenched so hard in his fists his knuckles were turning white. Or perhaps it was fear that was doing that to him? The King was rather frightening when he was angry, even if the anger wasn't directed at anyone in particular. However, his rage was boiling over at the Zora's this time, and even though it wasn't the page's fault that they were being so rude to the king, he was the bearer of the bad news, and would be the brunt of the king's wrath for today. Zelda couldn't help but feel sorry for the man.

"Who do they think they are?" King Daphnes bellowed. "Telling us to stop drawing water from Lake Floria?"

"They say there's something wrong, Your Highness. Their queen has fallen ill, and the lake is mysteriously draining." The page quivered in his boots, waiting for the next bout of shouting.

"Give them this message: Their leader shall no longer refer to herself as a queen, nor her daughter as princess. There is only one royal family in this country, and you are standing before them!"

"Anything else, Your Majesty?" the page squeaked.

"We will continue drawing water from the lake, whether they like it or not!"

King Daphnes slumped back down into his throne. Beads of sweat ran down his round face, and his forehead was creased with lines of rage. His hands were still balled up into fists on the armrests of his seat, and Zelda could see them visibly shaking.

Ever since the death of her mother, the queen, Daphnes had become unbearable. He was always lost in deep, brooding though, or seething and throwing a tantrum. Zelda had taken on her mother's quiet, calm demeanor, so her father's fits often rattled her when she was younger. As she aged, though, she had learned to live with them. Most of the time, his anger wasn't even towards her, but towards the other races that co-existed with the Hylian people, the Gorons and the Zoras. Another thorn in his side was also the recent uprising of a group of bandits in the desert, calling themselves the Gerudo. They overtook the prison built in the desert to contain them, turning it into a fortress and stealing from those who had to travel through the desert to reach the plains.

The thievery wasn't the only problem. According to Daphnes, their worship of their deity, The Goddess of the Sands, was blasphemy. Countless missionaries preaching Hylia's teachings were sent to the desert to convert those her father referred to as "greedy, thieving chuchu's; Spineless creatures that absorb whatever wealth they can". Very few actually returned, and all of them could only report failure.

"I will not let a little tribe of jellyfish ruin our festival plans."

Zelda was brought out of her thoughts by her fathers voice. He wasn't particularly speaking to her, but she was the only other person in the room, so she was expected to listen.

"Zelda."

The princess nearly jumped when her father barked at her. She looked up at him, now standing before her, his steel blue eyes looking down at her in their typical, narrowed fashion.

"The wedding announcement will be made on the day of the festival as well. I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As soon as the king turned away from her, Zelda rolled her eyes. Her father had been obsessed with her arranged marriage for almost a year now, ordering dress after dress, designing immaculate cakes, inviting guests, de-inviting guests, the list went on. He had Zelda meet with her future husband every weekend in his manor house. Groose was truly in favor of Daphnes. He already addressed the red-headed youth as his son, and Groose addressed Daphnes as his father. Zelda, however, felt rather differently about her fiance. He was pompous, rude, and self centered. Not to mention his ridiculous hair, and that his name sounded more like an annoying, honking bird than a king's. She didn't directly protest her father's wishes, though. This was for the good of her people.

_Your role in the protection of your people goes far beyond your earthly duties..._

Zelda's head shot up. She scanned the room, only to find it empty. Her father must have stormed off somewhere, for she was completely alone. Where had the voice come from, then? The voice that sounded so sweet... so soft and familiar. She shook her head. It must have just been a trick of her own mind.

* * *

><p>"Link, darling, wake up."<p>

Link opened his bleary eyes, only to be met with bright sunlight that forced him to clamp them shut again. Marin was sitting on the edge of his mattress, gently shaking him by the shoulder to wake him. He groaned and pulled at his quilt, twisted around his body. He always moved around when he slept, usually waking up in the morning to find himself curled into a ball at the end of his bed, with his blankets swaddled around him like a cocoon, and Tiki sleeping peacefully on his pillow, since he was no longer occupying it. As usual, the little remlit was there, snoozing away. Her eyes flickered open and she stretched and mewed. She padded over to Link and licked his face with her sand papery tongue, urging him to get up. It was his job to feed her, so the creature became accustomed to waking him up and forcing him out of bed to provide for her.

He reached out and gave Tiki a scratch on the head, right between her ears. She purred and slumped back down on the mattress.

"I'll be down in a few minutes." Link yawned.

"Just hurry up. Malon is getting impatient."

Link groaned and stretched out, relishing a few more seconds of comfort before forcing himself to sit up. Malon impatient wasn't a pretty thing to see. His adoptive sister was always impulsive and energetic, making Link look even more lazy next to her. While she was up at the crack of dawn each day, doing her chores on the farm, Marin and Talon had to hook Link up to a team of work horses to drag him out of bed. He didn't waste too much time, though. Even after all these years living with them, he couldn't call Marin and Talon "mom" or "dad", and still felt more like he was in debt to them for taking him in, even if they insisted he wasn't.

Link wandered into the kitchen, lured by the smell of goat sausage and eggs frying. Talon and Malon were already dressed for the day and seated at the table, and Marin was toiling away, preparing breakfast. Link slid down into his usual spot, next to Malon, and across from Talon. The man smiled at him through his thick mustache.

"Mornin', Sleepyhead," he greeted cheerfully. "I think this is the earliest I've ever seen you awake. Bet you couldn't sleep at all last night, knowing what today is."

Link, still in a groggy state of confusion, cocked his head at Talon. "Huh?"

Malon giggled. "Oh, Daddy, he's forgotten all about it!"

"Forgotten what?" Link looked from Malon's bright, smiling face to Talon.

"The Festival of The Hero, Link," Marin said as she slid some of the goat sausage and scrambled eggs onto Link's plate. "After the morning chores are done today we head into town to present our gift to the royal family."

"They're sure to love it this year." Talon sat back in his chair, looking accomplished. "That mare is the crown jewel in our collection. I've never seen such a brilliant red in a horse."

"They're sure to love it," Malon smiled. "She's so beautiful."

In his spare time, Talon bred horses for nobles, and taught Link everything he knew about creating the perfect horse. Depending on what the future owner wanted, Talon would breed them for size, strength, stamina, coat and mane color, anything they wanted. It was a slow process, but it was Talon's pet project, and when a horse was successfully sold, there was extra money in the household for luxuries they normally wouldn't be able to purchase. It was how Link was able to get his first sword. It was a simple short sword, used in academies for students, but he treasured it nonetheless.

"I'll miss the girl. She would have made a fine racehorse."

The blur of red flashed before Link's eyes. Epona, the horse Talon had been trying to produce for nearly fifteen years, and his most treasured horse. Link had ridden her a few times, and she had gained the nickname "The Red Terror" for her speed and stamina. She was a muscular, beautiful horse with a rust colored hide and snowy white mane. She would be presented to the king himself by Talon.

"You don't have to give her away," Link remarked. He meant it, too. He had become rather attached to the mare in his time caring for her.

Talon threw his head back with laughter. "You know I can't do that Link. She's a lovely horse and all, but the money she's worth is important to our family." Talon looked at him with his bright eyes and winked. "But maybe you can breed one of your own someday?"

Link couldn't help but smile. "It took you fifteen years to breed Epona. I might be an old man before I produce a horse like her again."

"Tell you what, Link," Talon said between bites of sausage, "I'll let you present her to the king, that way you can say your goodbyes."

"Maybe you'll even get to meet Princess Zelda." Malon smiled slyly at Link, and he rolled his eyes.

"I doubt it."

"The King said that there would be a special announcement at the festival today involving Princess Zelda. I'd think she'd be there." Marin sat down in her place. "You might get to catch a glimpse of her."

Link eagerly downed the rest of his breakfast. He wanted one last chance to ride Epona before she was handed over to the king, even if it was only for a few minutes. He rushed out of the tiny farmhouse and through the pumpkin field, up to the doors of the stable.

Inside was dark, except for the sun that managed to break through the open windows and little pigeon holes in the roof. It was warm, and smelled of sweet hay. Link took in a deep breath. He could never get tired of the smell, and it always made him feel so relaxed, he might just fall into a pile of hay and sleep. He had done it a few times before, only to be awoken by Malon gently poking him in the chest with a pitchfork and scolding him for being so lazy.

Two rows of pens lined the stables, and Link's feet instinctively carried him to the very last one on the right, where Epona was kept. She was sticking her head out over the gate, eagerly awaiting him. She tossed her head back and whinnied loudly. Even if she couldn't speak, it was obvious that she was happy to see him. Link patted her on the neck and unlatched the gate.

He lead her out into the corral, jumping up onto her back without even bothering to put a saddle and reins on her. Link wrapped his arms around Epona's neck and gave her a little squeeze with his legs. At once she took off at breathtaking speed. Her hooves clopped on the ground, throwing up dirt and grass, making a rhythmic pounding noise as they came into contact with the earth to propel her forward. Once Link felt the rhythm of her movement, he slowly loosened his grip on her neck, allowing himself to sit up.

Wind rushed through his hair and thrummed in his ears. This is when he was truly at peace. To be riding as fast as Epona could carry him, letting himself get lost in the feeling of it all. It was absolutely perfect. The only thing wrong with the moment was the size of the corral. It was so small. More often than once, Link was tempted to sneak Epona out and take her for a ride through the fields at night, when no one was awake. Talon would be cross with him if he did, but Link craved the adventure.

A sharp whistling noise ran through the air. It started out as a loud, high pitched tone, but it eventually warped into a simple, descending three note call. Malon stood at the gate of the corral with a piece of whistle grass still clamped in her fingers and held to her mouth. Epona veered in her direction and came to a halt in front of the red-headed girl.

"Link, you're supposed to be doing chores, not daydreaming," Malon huffed, and her hands were on her hips.

"I just wanted to take her for one last ride before..." Link trailed off, and began to absentmindedly run his fingers through Epona's mane.

Malon's eyes soften just a bit. "Well, just make sure to feed the cuckoo's before we leave."

Link smiled at her. "Thank, Malon."

"Don't forget!" Malon said, her voice back to it's scolding tone. "And don't harass them this time!"

"Malon, that was one time. I won't do it again, I swear."

"You tried to use a cuckoo to fly off the roof, Link. A cuckoo."

Link squeezed Epona's sides again and the mare began to trot away obediently. Malon called after him, but Link only laughed.

"Sorry, Mal! I can't hear you!"

Epona picked up speed once again, and began down the dirt track that wound around the corral. _Just a few more minutes_, Link thought, _then I'll do my chores_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So, some multi chapter original quest Zelda fanfic? Challenge accepted. I still don't know who Link's companion will be. So much for planning. Anyway, please enjoy.


	2. Destiny

Chapter Two: Destiny

Castle Town was always a busy place from what Link had seen, when he observed the streets in the back of the covered wagon to deliver milk and other produce. This time, however, The of the Festival of the Hero, was a different story all together. The entire square, from the fountain to the shade under the awnings of buildings, was jam packed with people. There was just barely enough room to squeeze Epona through the streets, especially when it came to navigating through crowds of people going in the opposite direction. More than once, Link was bumped so hard he let go of Epona's reigns and nearly lost her in the sea of festival goers, putting a damper on his mood. A goddess worshiping festival wasn't exactly the place he would like to be, and he wasn't enjoying the fact that he was leading the rust-red mare through the crowd so he could hand her over to some entitled nobles. He refused to let it show, however. He didn't want to ruin Talon, Malon and Marin's time. He kept to himself instead, and tried to stay as close to Epona as possible. He wanted to at least say goodbye to her before she was gone.

_Link. _

He searched the crowd, looking for whoever might have just called out to him. They sounded so close, Link was sure they'd be nearby. No one was even looking at him though. He was probably just hearing things. The way everyone's speech meshed together in such an audience, there was bound to be noises that sounded like his name.

"Are we heading to the castle right away?" Link shouted to Talon over the din.

Talon shook his head. "The King wants us to present Epona to him on stage."

Link shrugged. Usually nobles had their horses delivered straight to their stables. King Daphnes probably just wanted to put on a performance, show off the new, prized horse he was receiving. At least Talon would gain some publicity this way. If the King wanted a horse from him, his subjects would surely clamor to get their own.

"Hey Link." Malon put a hand on his shoulder. "Mom and I are going to get masks. You want one?"

"How about the yellow fox one? Kee-somthing..."

Malon puffed up her cheeks. "Link, the Keaton mask is for little kids."

Link shrugged and smiled. "I'm a kid at heart, right? That's what you always say."

Malon, unable to come up with a retort, nodded and slipped away through a throng of shoppers, followed closely by Marin. Link set his sights towards the stage set up by the towns north gate, only to notice that Talon had vanished as well. Link sighed in frustration. Talon was so eager to be there to present Epona to King Daphnes. Hopefully he'd be waiting by the stage before that happened. Link imagined he would be there. This was the most important moment of his life, or so he called it.

_Link. _

Link knew he wasn't hallucinating this time. The voice was so clear, almost like whoever was calling him was right beside him, speaking directly into his ears. He turned his head to the right, in the direction it sounded like it came from. Past the crowds of people was the steps leading up to the Sealed Grounds and the grand temple built upon it. Link's eyes crept up to the steeple jutting into the blue sky. The place had been there for as long as anyone could remember. It was in ruins for so long, but a few hundred years ago it was restored and became a place of worship. Link had never set foot inside the place, nor did he ever want to, but there was something strange about it.

Link snapped out of his daydream and turned his attention back to the streets, hoping to catch sight of Talon, but instead glimpsed something else. A tall, slender woman with long, blonde hair that moved in an invisible breeze. Her dress fluttered around her feet, and Link could see that she was hovering above the stone path. She went completely unnoticed by the crowd, except for Link. She was looking directly at him, then, much to his surprise, floated backwards and into the crowd, vanishing from his view.

Link tugged Epona's reigns and urged her along with him. He desperately searched, trying to see the being again. There she was, only a few feet away, floating at the top landing of the stone staircase. When they made eye contact again she turned up the path, into the courtyard. Link scrambled up the stairs, and came to a stop at the huge double doors of the temple. The noise of the streets had died down now, and he could hear birds chirping. He looked back to Epona.

"Stay here, girl." He ran his fingers down her neck. "This should only be a few minutes."

Link released her reins, and turned to push the doors open. They were far heavier than they looked, and made a low pitched rumbling noise as the metal scraped against the polished stone floors of the interior. He stepped inside, staying on the tips of his toes, as if he were sneaking out of the house late at night. The doors closed behind him again, and he was left in total silence.

The temple was beautiful. From the clean, checkered floor to the high vaulted ceilings, everything sparkled with a pristine, fresh feeling. Plush red carpets had been rolled out from the door Link had just entered from, to the stone slab in the middle of the room. He had never seen it with his own eyes, but everyone called it the Gate of Time, a device the Chosen Hero used to travel into the past and defeat a great evil from legends. It was dormant now, and just sat as a huge, black and blue centerpiece.

"It's nothing special, really," Link said to himself, shrugging.

To the left was another set of doors that lead to the Goddess Statue, where the Triforce was located. The doors were always locked and sealed, and high walls of natural cliff face surrounded the place, making it impossible for anyone to enter. Link didn't even think the thing existed. If no one had seen it for hundreds of years, what were the chances of it being real?

"Link."

Link turned to the voice. There was the woman again, floating in front of yet another set of doors. Her expression was tender and motherly, from her blue eyes to the small, wise smile in her pink lips. She was beautiful, and the way she called out to Link made him feel protected. It was strange, to feel this way over a person he had never seen before, but something told him she was no ordinary person.

"Yeah?" Link answered weakly. She was obviously of higher status than him, and a sudden feeling of embarrassment rushed through him for addressing her so casually.

"Please follow me."

"Well, that's what I've been doing."

Link approached the woman, climbing the altar to the doors. She floated backwards again, this time slipping right through them. Link stopped a moment to puzzle this, before pushing the doors open.

He found himself in another chamber of the temple. The room was bare, except for the pedestal in the middle. A sword was jammed into it, and it's blue hilt glittered in the shaft of light that came from the only window in the room. The woman was next to it, waiting for him it seemed.

"Please draw the sword from the pedestal, Link." She extended her hand towards the sword, welcoming him to take it.

"Why?" Link narrowed his eyes at her. Something was up.

"It is your destiny to take this sword."

Link clenched and unclenched his fists. Something felt strange. If he was found to be tampering with something in the temple, he could be in huge trouble. Talon and Marin wouldn't like that. Link had already put them through enough.

"Link, please take the sword," the woman urged. He suddenly felt the same pang of worry she seemed to be expressing.

Link nodded in affirmation. He strode forward and stood at the pedestal. He wrapped his fingers around the grip, and with some effort, pulled it free from it's place in the stone. A rush of blue light surrounded him, and he felt his consciousness fade.

* * *

><p>Zelda paced quickly through the streets, followed closely by her bodyguard and personal attendant, Impa. When she heard the news, she didn't bother to wait for the healers to deliver the boy to the castle. She wanted to see him herself. She gave the temple doors a shove and ran inside, looking to the chamber the Master Sword was to be in.<p>

It was just as the informants said. The seal on the doors had been broken, and they now were open, revealing the chamber to her. A small group had gathered in there, a stretcher on the ground next to them. Zelda strode up to them, and they moved out of the way for her, bowing deeply at the sight of her.

A young man, probably no older than seventeen, was laying on the marble floor, in what appeared to be a deep sleep. The Master Sword was clutched in his left hand, and there was a rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

"Just as my dream foretold, Impa."

Impa simply nodded. She was always a person of few words, and always kept her expression as unreadable as possible.

One of the the healers removed the Master Sword from his grip while the others loaded him onto the stretcher, and held it uncertainly in her hands. She looked from the blade to Zelda, an expression of confusion on her face.

"What should we do with the blade, Your Highness?"

"Deliver him and the sword to my chamber. I will speak to him when he wakes."

The healers all looked to each other with worried faces. A man other than her fiance in Princess Zelda's chamber was sure to infuriate King Daphnes, especially when it was a commoner that was found sneaking into the Sealed Grounds. They didn't question her, however. The days events were already turning out strange enough.

The walk back to the castle was simple for Zelda. Crowds naturally parted for the royalty, although many curious glances were thrown at the stretcher bearing the young blonde man behind her. They would understand soon enough. Even her father would have to believe her now. At this time, though, she was happy to have not run into him. Her "I told you so" speech could wait until the boy had learned of his destiny and was no long occupying her bedroom.

Wordlessly, the healers hoisted the youth onto Zelda's thick, downy mattress and scurried out with the stretcher. They had placed the Master Sword against on of the posts at the foot of the bed. When they were gone, Zelda finally took a step closer to inspect it and the stranger.

He was definitely young, like her. Throughout history, it seemed, the gods liked to chose teenagers just on the cusp of adulthood to take up world saving and monster slaying as hobbies. The prophetic dreams she had had for the last month had come as a surprise to her, but it was nothing compared to what fate had in store for him. Zelda gazed at his face, somewhat round and childish, and let out a little sigh. There was going to be so much hardship in his future, and even though she knew nothing about him, she couldn't help but wish that she could alleviate some of it. Perhaps she could?

In a swift motion, she tugged the curtains of her canopy bed shut around him. Let the boy rest for now. She moved to the sword next. Propped up against the bedpost, it's blade and jeweled hilt glistened in the afternoon sun from her windows. The blade itself also seemed to possess it's own unearthly glow. The Master Sword looked just as it did when it was described in legends, and in Zelda's dreams.

Zelda moved over to her desk and grabbed the shield sitting on it. It had been difficult to sneak it out of the throne room, but she felt like this would be the shield to keep the boy safe in his journey. Passed down through generations of royalty, the Hylian Sheild was nigh indestructible, and could protect the user from the elements, as well as dark magic. She placed it against the Master Sword, so that when he woke, he could take both of them.

Zelda sat at her desk and gazed out her window into the garden. Now all that was left to do was wait.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hurray for conveniently placed fainting. That's the best way to switch POV's, obviously. :U

So anyway, not much in terms of excitement. Maybe next chapter?


	3. Fate

Chapter Three: 

When Link awoke he found himself dazed and confused. A dull headache pulsed behind his eyes, and he found himself sunken into the soft mattress of a strangers bed, covered in cotton and silk linens, surrounded by a thick blue canopy that let in only a miniscule amount of light. The first thing he felt was nausea. His stomach swirled as he tried to sit himself up, making him clutch at his shirt and press his hand to his mouth. At this point he was more worried about messing up the foreign bedsheets than where he actually was.

He coughed. His throat clenched and itched. His mouth was dry, and his tongue felt too large. The noise he made must have caught someone's attention. The canopy curtains were thrown open and Link was paralyzed by the sudden influx of bright, gold light. A silhouette shaded his eyes from the sun, allowing him to open them a crack. Through the thick blur of his lashes, he saw a slim, elegant figure standing before him, their pale hand stretched out with a cup of water in it. Link took it, throwing the water down in seconds. That was a mistake. His stomach lurched in protest once more.

The figure took the empty cup from his hands and crossed the room. Link shook head and rubbed his temples with his now free hands, hoping to dispel the discomforting pain.

He looked to the window and his heart sank. It was sunset. Talon and Marin would be searching everywhere for him. What about Epona? He stood up to leave, no longer caring about where he was, or why he was even there. He needed to apologize to Talon. He probably made him look like a fool in front of the king.

Link stumbled and fell back into a sitting position on the bed. He was surprised by how weak he felt all of a sudden. A small hand came down on his shoulder and squeezed.

"Be careful." the voice was rough and raspy, contrasting the delicate hand it belonged to. "Don't want you to pass out again."

Link looked up into a pair of blue eyes. The owner, a young woman with blond hair and a crooked smile, was none other than Princess Zelda.

The Princess Zelda was touching his shoulder and speaking to him. Link was sleeping in the princess' bed. He almost _threw up _on it. Right away he scrambled to his feet, eyes wide. Ignoring the sick feeling in his stomach and the spinning in his head, he managed a lopsided bow before falling over. Zelda laughed and helped him to his feet, sitting him down on her bed again.

"It's fine. I'd urge against moving around too much after what you've been through."

"What happened?" Link rubbed his forehead with his open palm. "I was in the temple and..." he trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence. The last thing he remembered was finding the door the the Master Sword's chamber unlocked and ajar.

"You've been chosen for something great." Zelda smiled again. This time Link got a better look at her face. Clear skin, a small nose and a few crooked teeth. Her eyebrows were thicker up close. "You're going to help me save Hyrule."

Link looked at her with a blank expression. He'd just met the girl, and she was already telling him he was going to save the world. She must have seen something in his face, because she frowned and stood up, backing away a little. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"The sword called to you, right? You saw the goddess?"

Link nodded slowly. "Yes."

Zelda grinned. "Good. That means it's true."

"No offense, Your Highness." Her nose crinkled a little when he said it. Cute. "But how do you know this? It could be a prank or something. Maybe one of the temple caretakers left the door unlocked?"

Zelda slumped into her writing chair and sighed, burying her face in the palm of her hands. Awkward silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Link felt sudden regret for what he said. The princess wasn't someone you wanted to be on bad terms with, especially if her father got involved. She looked at him through the gaps in her fingers, exasperation evident in just her eyes alone.

"I've been having prophetic dreams for months now. This is no coincidence."

"Sounds cliched."

She glared at him. Link cursed at himself in his mind. He really had to start watching what he said around people.

"Well, it's true. You're there. Her Grace is there. Everything is there. I know it."

"Her Grace, huh?" Link raised an eyebrow. Interesting.

He was never the religious type, and there was never time to come into the city on a regular basis to pray at the temple. Him and his family were far too busy making sure they had food on the table.

"Something wicked is going to fall on Hyrule. My father is too caught up with my marriage arrangements to even bother to listen to me." Zelda frowned. "Please say you'll help."

"Your Highness-"

"Zelda. Just Zelda."

Link let out a nervous chuckle. "Your Highness, I know how to use a sword, but I'm not a warrior. The only things I've ever fought were an old, beat up scarecrow and a few wolfos that tried to kill our livestock."

"It's fine. I can teach you."

Link almost wanted to laugh. The princess teaching him how to fight? She was so small, a whole head shorter than Link. Her arms... well, now that she'd moved out of the direct sunlight, he could see that her arms were rather toned. Her dainty, clean hands were quite the contrast to them. Perhaps she had some experience, but why would she be invested in swordplay? It's not like she'd ever have to go into battle.

"Ahem."

Link's cheeks flared red. Was he staring at her this whole time? Without even saying anything?

"Fine."

"Good." Zelda clapped her hands together and smiled. "Now, as for your journey. We've been getting numerous reports from Lake Floria that the Zora's queen has mysteriously fallen ill, and that the lake is draining. I have a feeling this might be part of that omen."

"You want me to go investigate?" Link wondered how Talon would react when Link told him that the Princess Zelda was sending him on some divine mission.

"I want _us _to investigate. I will accompany you."

"What? Your Highness-"

"Zelda," she said firmly, putting emphasis on both syllables.

"I don't think you're going to be able to leave the castle that easily, much less Castle Town. His Majesty would be furious."

"I can beg for forgiveness later, after we save the world."

She was impulsive. Maybe even more impulsive than Link. Oh, Goddess. What was he getting himself into?

Link met eyes with her again, only to find her pulling a face. A face set with wide blue eyes that sparkled, her eyebrows arched inward to give her a forlorn puppy sort of look, and a bottom lip sticking out in a little pout. No. He'd seen Malon do this to her father. He would, for the life of him, not let this work on him. Never.

Then again, he could understand why she'd be so desperate to get him on board. No one had believed her, and she was frustrated. That was obvious. Link felt a little guilty, being so stubborn with her.

"Okay. Fine. I'll do it." Link's shoulders slumped with defeat. So maybe the look had worked after all.

Zelda's face lit up with a bright smile that made her nose crinkle. "Thank you!"

She threw her arms in the air as if she were about to hug him, but stopped midway and instead opted for a pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you. Really." She looked over to one of the dark corners of the room. "Impa?"

A tall, slender woman with dark skin and white hair pulled into a small ponytail stepped out of the shadows. A white tear was painted on her right cheek, and a glaring red eye on her forehead. Link nearly jumped out of his skin. Had she been there the whole time? Would she tell anyone what she saw?

"Link," Zelda stepped aside as the woman came over to join them. "This is my personal attendant and bodyguard, Impa. She'll see you to the town gates."

"H-hi..." Link managed, his voice nothing more than a squeak. "I'm Link."

He held out his hand for her to shake. When she just gave it a little glance and looked back up at him, he retracted it, blushing.

"Thank you for your assistance," She said, voice devoid of any tone or expression.

"Take the sword and shield with you. Say your goodbyes to your family." Zelda led them to the door and opened it for him. "See you tomorrow."

The only thing Link could do was nod. Once again he wondered, what had he gotten himself into?

* * *

><p>"An absolute disgrace! And in front of the entire city! The King! The Princess! You should thank Her Grace that you were unconscious when they found you, because I would've rung you until you saw stars if you were awake. And the horse... the horse was just tied up and left outside the temple. Someone could have stolen it! Do you know how long it took me to breed that horse?"<p>

"Fifteen years."

"Fifteen years!" Talon repeated, his voice rattling Link's brain in his skull. "And you! What were you thinking, breaking into the sealed grounds like that? You're lucky they let y-"

"I didn't break in!" Link snapped, looking up from the pillow he'd buried his face in. "The door was unlocked!"

"So you figured you could just waltz in?"

"I didn't just go inside!" Link took a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself.

Talon stood, waiting. His face had turned as red as his shirt, and even the top of his bald head was a deep, angry color. His brow was furrowed and his friendly, kind eyes had become dark and narrowed. His arms twitched and flexed as he pumped his huge fists, hands shaking with rage. As soon as they got home, Talon had followed Link right up to his room with loud, house shaking stomps and slammed the door behind him.

He might have not even noticed the sword and shield Link was carrying. If he did, he was too caught up in his fury to mention it.

"Talon, you have to believe me." Now Link felt like Zelda, trying to convince everyone around her of some otherworldly dream, or a beautiful floating woman and a sweet voice that no one else could hear guiding him. "I was led into the temple by a ghost or something. I don't know what it was, but it looked like the goddess.

"It took me into the Sealed Grounds and the door was open. It told me to take the sword. Then I passed out. When I woke up I was in Princess Zelda's room and she was telling me she had a prophetic dream about me."

Talon's gaze hardened. He was skeptical. Link swallowed the lump in his throat and continued.

"She's sending me to Lake Floria to investigate something that might have to do with her dream. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Link."

"I'm telling the truth, Talon. I really am."

Talon's expression faltered, and now looked more sad than angry.

"So you're leaving?"

Link nodded. "Tomorrow morning, before dawn."

"You should have told us as soon as you got back."

"I was hoping to tell you all over dinner." Link's stomach churned. Talon's voice sounded so... so hurt.

"You can tell Malon and Marin. We'll help you prepare for the trip."

"Talon, I... sorry I messed up the festival for you."

"Don't worry about it." Talon put a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good kid, and you're like a son to me."

Link smiled, his heart aching. "And you've been like a father."

Talon drew Link into a tight hug. Link returned it, the full force of what was happening hitting him all at once. Talon and Marin had taken him in, and become his family. The ranch was all he'd known for his whole life. The ranch, the route to Castle Town, and the city itself were the only places he had ever ventured. He'd never dreamed of going beyond that boundary, as much as he would've loved to. Now, in just one day, everything had changed. He would be stepping into an unknown world. There would be no home to shelter him, no bed to sleep in, no warm breakfast and the smiles of Talon and Marin, and Malon's voice singing to the horses as the day begun.

Talon was trembling. When he drew away, a few tears were streaking down his face. He attempted the best smile he could.

"Dinner should be ready soon. We'd better get downstairs."

Link nodded and followed Talon out of his room. Before closing the door, he took one last look at the place. It was so plain. It looked more like he'd been a guest all these fifteen years, rather than an actual resident. The only decorations were a wooden wall clock that had stopped working long ago, and a few crude carvings of the birds that lived in the barn rafters. It would be the last time he'd be seeing this place for a while.

The door swung closed with a small click, but it resonated deep within Link. It felt so powerfully, incredibly final.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I totally promise that all that time it took for this to update was spent working on this chapter. I most certainly didn't waste all that time watching anime, working on other stories, drawing and Tumblr. I totally didn't just type this up in the last few days.

Thank you.


	4. Nightmares and Bug Princesses

Chapter Four:

Fire. Link could smell it. The heavy acrid smoke that choked his breathing. The smell of burning wood. Fire was something he feared. It was something that had consumed his home, the whole village and the outlaying farms, his parents. His entire life. In the hands of nameless, faceless soldiers, fire had been more powerful than swords an arrows. More devastating than any arcane magic or beast that wandered in from the darkest corners of the earth.

It was outside.

Link jolted upright in his bed, drenched with a cold sweat. He scrambled for the window and his eyes darted in the direction of the black, wispy cloud that flowed past. The corral was consumed by a tall wave of fire, quickly spreading and making it's way towards the barn.

He sprang up and jammed his feet into his boots, and threw on the closest articles of clothing he could find. As he was getting ready to rush out the door, he heard a low gurgling noise.

Link followed the noise to the space between the wall and his wardrobe. A pair of yellow glowing eyes was wedged in the small corner.

"Tiki." Link knelt down and held out his hand. "It's okay girl."

The remlit slowly came forward. Moonlight spilled onto her, and Link could tell something was wrong. Her ears were pinned down, and the hair on her back stood up like a spine. Her claws were out, clicking on the floorboards. She snarled, a white foam leaking out from the spaces between her sharp teeth.

Tiki lunged at him, digging her claws deep into the skin of Link's arm and trying to rip at his skin, closing her jaws around his wrist. The look in her eyes was mad. It was as if she was possessed.

Link cried out in pain and tried to shake the creature off. She held on tight, sinking her claws in even deeper. He could feel blood starting to drip from his arm. Link clamored to his feet and swung his arm wildly. In one last desperate attempt, he bashed his arm against the wardrobe. The remlit squealed and let go, falling to the ground. She was quick to race under his bed and continue growling.

There was no time to examine the damage. Link grabbed the Master Sword and the shield lying by his bedroom door and took off down the hall.

"Talon! There's a fire!"

Link's shouting had the house awake in seconds. Marin and Talon, both in their nightclothes, burst from their bedroom with frantic looks on their face, followed by Malon rushing out of her own bedroom.

"The animals!" she cried as she dashed down the stairs so fast she was a blur.

Talon and Marin went after her, Link close at their heels. As they reached the landing, they saw the door swing open as Malon took off into the night, towards the barn.

All three of them saw it. A shadow moved by the open door, the light of the moon catching on it for a brief moment. It let out a strange cry and ran back into the shadows. The only thing Link could see was that it was crawling on what looked like five misshapen legs, scurrying around the room so fast he couldn't pin it to one spot. What he imagined might be claws scraped against the stone floor of the kitchen. Link tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword, his instincts now guiding him.

"You two go. I'll take care of it."

Marin squeezed Link's shoulder before racing past him.

Link was alone in the dark. Sword brandished and shield raised, he took one small step forward. The floorboards creaked, and his breath caught in his throat. The creature, hiding out of sight, moved again with it's scratching noise. It had moved closer, nails on wood signaling that it was near. He dared himself to take another step, then another quicker one.

He wedged his boot between the frame and the door, kicking it wide open so moonlight spilled into the kitchen. He saw it again. As soon as the light hit it, an inhuman wail filled the house. The creature, some grotesque thing that looked like a dismembered hand, thrashed about in what Link could only assume was pain. It's skin was wrinkled and purple, the nails on each finger like limb long and black. It curled in on itself and burst into blue flame that consumed it completely within seconds. There wasn't a trace of the monster left.

Link scrambled backwards and into the night air, tainted with the smell of smoke. What was that thing? He'd known horrible monsters existed in places like cursed forests and deep lakes. They were creatures that rarely showed their faces. He'd never heard of a monster like that before: hands that looked like they belonged to demons, only sentient and able to move on their own? He swallowed the lump in his throat. He had a hunch that this was no natural fire.

By the time he reached the barn, Malon had thrown the doors open and freed the livestock. Cuccos flapped their wings in desperate attempts to escape. Horses, goats and cows cried out as they took off down the dirt path, many of them heading towards the ranch exit. If they wandered too far away, they would most likely be killed by predators.

Malon was standing with a pitchfork gripped in her hands and screaming. She was being swarmed by keese, screeching and barreling at her with their claws and teeth bared. With a powerful swing, she hit one of the monsters and sent it crashing into another, both of them flailing before they flew away. She caught another one between the prongs of her weapon and flung it away. She was panting with the effort. She let her guard down, and another keese swooped in and clipped the back of her head, leaving a bloody gash and taking a clump of hair with it.

Link rushed to her side and began fighting the beasts off. The sword was heavy in his palm and awkward to slice with, but luckily the bats were stupid. He was able to kill and scare off the remainder of the horde within seconds.

"Malon!" Link had to shout over the sound of animal cries and roaring fire. "Where are Marin and Talon?"

"They went to try to put the fire out!" Malon was holding the back of her head where she was hit, tears streaming down her face. "Something's happening, Link. The animals were all spooked when I opened the barn. They nearly trampled me trying to escape."

Link moved to inspect her injury. "There was a monster in the house." It wasn't deep, but it would get infected if it wasn't treated soon. "You're lucky it didn't find you."

"There was one in the barn too. I thought it was a person at first, but it moved so horribly, like a zombie. It screamed and I couldn't move."

"Is it still in there?"

Malon shook her head. Blood dribbled from the wound and down her neck. "Whatever it was, it died as soon as the light hit it."

"I'm going to find Talon and Marin. Find somewhere safe to hide."

Without a word, Malon headed back towards the house. Link's focus returned to the towering wall of fire that was moving closer with each passing second. He started for the well. It was the only source of water close by, Talon and Marin had to be there. Link went as fast as his feet could carry him, past the burning corral and to the little dip in the land where the well had been situated.

He came to a halt, breathless, before the scene. The well had been destroyed, bricks and shattered stone lying about. Talon was on the ground, clutching something in his arms. As Link drew nearer, he realized it was Marin. Link stumbled to his knees at Talon's side.

Blood spilled from a wound he couldn't see. Marin's chest still rose and fell, but the look on her face was one of agony. Her breathing was ragged and labored.

Talon looked up at him. "Link, you have to go."

"Marin..."

The woman that had taken him in when he was orphaned, now laying in her husbands arms, and it was possible that she was dying.

"Link," Talon snapped. "Go find the princess and tell her what happened here. We'll be fine."

"What about the ranch? All the livestock is gone. What are you going to do?"

"We'll figure it out." His tone was resolute. "Go."

With a tremendous effort, Link pushed himself into a standing position. A heavy weight pressed down on his chest and shoulders, and it felt like a boulder had settled in his stomach. Him and Talon exchanged one last glance.

"Stay safe," The rancher, his father, said.

"You too."

Link's mind was weighed down with questions as he made his way to the exit of the ranch. What had attacked his home? Why had they in the first place? His thoughts fell on Marin. With a solemn bow of his head, Link found himself actually praying. Please, let her be okay. Keep all of them safe. If there was a goddess, let her protect them when he couldn't.

"Link?"

He turned to find Malon standing behind him. She'd found a cloth to wrap around her head to staunch the bleeding.

"Make sure you treat that soon, okay?"

"Where are you going?"

"I have to meet with the princess again." He reached out his hand and took Malon's, squeezing it gently. "I'll be back soon though. I promise."

Small tears pricked at her eyes. Malon gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "You better. I don't want to be stuck doing chores by myself." She punctuated the remark with a forced giggle.

He didn't dare tell her about Marin's condition right now. If she raced off to find her parents, she might get attacked again. She'd proven tonight that she was capable of defending herself against small, less dangerous creatures, but whatever had attacked Marin and Talon wasn't small.

Link looked back to the little footpath leading out of the ranch. Without a horse, it would take the whole day to reach Castle Town. If he didn't sleep tonight, maybe he could make it. With nothing more than a sword, shield and the clothes on his back, Link continued on.

Now he focused entirely on getting as far away from that fire as he possibly could.

* * *

><p>He wasn't sure how much longer he could go on. The sky had turned bruise blue and one by one the stars petered out. Morning was coming, and Link was dragging his feet down the trail. The soles of his feet ached, and his boots pinched his feet. His ankles felt like they'd been reduced to powder. His knees shook with every step. If he wasn't afraid of being attacked by predators, he would fall down and sleep where he stood. He had to press on, though. If he reached Castle Town, he'd be able to send someone to help at the ranch.<p>

Link could feel the layer of sweat, dirt and ashes that coated his skin. His clothes were tattered and worn out. How would he even get into the castle, much less get to Zelda? Hopefully she'd thought this through, being as rash as she was. Link certainly hadn't. Oh goddess, he wished more than anything that he could sleep right now. This was the longest he'd probably ever stayed up in his life...

A grove of trees split up the path ahead of him. Without thinking, Link wandered into the center of them and sat at the base of the largest tree he could find.

He was mentally and physically exhausted. So much weighed on his mind. His body was sore and aching. His stomach growled, begging for food. His eyelids felt so heavy. As soon as his bottom hit the ground they fell closed. Only a short nap, he thought, then he'd continue to Castle Town.

His sleep was plagued with nightmares of fire.

* * *

><p>In her nervousness, Zelda resorted to twisting her hair around her fingers. At this rate, she might go bald. Of course, today of all days, the day she was planning on taking a little 'unplanned excursion' as she called it, was the day her father had to invite her fiance to to castle. To just imagine King Daphnes face when he discovered that his daughter had gone missing. Now to imagine it when he found out she'd vanished on the day her future husband was coming to see her. Oh, there would be search parties. They'd tear apart Castle Town and the surrounding area. They'd eventually search for her in Kakariko, the tiny, budding village at the foot of the mountains. Her father would turn all of Hyrule upside down himself to find her.<p>

How mad could he be though, when she returned a hero to her people? She thought of how she'd lecture her father on how right she was and how wrong he was, and how it would be so satisfying...

"Princess, the face you're making is rather unbecoming of a lady."

Zelda snapped out of her daydream, roused by her caretaker's voice. It was a joke, of course. Mocking something her father had once said to her when she was seven and Zelda had tasted Goat Cheese Pumpkin Fish Soup for the first time. Who in their right mind thought that combination was a good idea?

"I'm just worried."

"I'll keep the search parties off your trail for as long as I can."

"Did you make sure the stable will be empty?"

"Yes, Princess."

"What about-"

"Everything is in place and going as planned." Impa put a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "We just have to wait for the boy to show up."

Easier said than done. Minutes ticked by and turned into hours. The sun rose up in the sky, and baked the dry, cracked earth. Clouds formed, blew across the sky and scattered. Impa was sent to wait for Link by the town gates, but never returned.

Before she knew it, a servant was knocking at her door.

"Princess, Master Groose has arrived."

Oh Goddess.

"Just a minute." Zelda's voice trembled under her nerves.

In preparation for her escape, Zelda had worn a pale blue tunic and tights, not exactly what her father wanted her to be in when she presented herself to her fiance. She pulled the tunic off and threw a white gown on. She removed her hair from it's ponytail and brushed through it, leaving it down. Hopefully she could get away with looking plain. Just to be sure, she perched a small tiara on her head.

Where was he? Had he slept in or something? Zelda furrowed her brow at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Could the fate of Hyrule really depend on such a lazy boy?

"Your Highness?"

"Y-yes, yes. I'm coming."

Oh, he'd pay for this. He'd pay dearly.

* * *

><p>Something nudged Link's shoulder. He opened his eyes and stretched. Besides his hunger, he felt great. He was refreshed and ready to continue on.<p>

He screamed and scrambled backwards, against the trunk of the tree. He'd just realized that a pair of droopy purple eyes had been watching him. His heart calmed when he saw that it was just a young girl, probably only fourteen or fifteen. Her face was painted with three colored dots under her eyes, and her lips were colored bright pink.

Her outfit was rather unsuitable for the hike she must have had to take to get out this far. Her hair was done up in two blonde pigtails, and she was wearing some sort of strange, frilly headpiece. Her dress was green and white with big, pink fake butterflies attached to it, and on her feet were dress shoes. She was carrying a picnic basket with her, a lace napkin covering it's contents.

"Are you lost?" Her voice is high pitched and airy.

"No. Are you?" What would a little girl be doing out in the middle of Hyrule Field?

The little girl giggled. "Nope. I come out here to catch bugs." She cocked her head. "You hungry, Mister? Would you like something?"

Strange, but Link went with it. He was starving. "Sure."

The little girl procured from her basket an ornate teapot, two saucers, cups and plates. Link examined his empty tea cup. It was painted with detailed motifs of blue sacred butterflies. The tea was poured, and a slice of sticky bread with raisins baked into it was placed on the plate in front of him. Before he could eat, the young girl set up another plate and dropped some bread on it.

Link watched in half amusement, half horror as the girl took a bottle out of her basket and dumped it's contents onto the plate. Lanayru ants. Live Lanayru ants. She set the now empty bottle down and clapped her hands.

"Princess Agitha of the Bug Kingdom would like to announce that we have a special guest joining us for breakfast today." She pointed to him. "Please, tell us your name."

"...Link."

"Sir Link. Please enjoy your meal."

He hesitated, but snatched the bread off the plate and ate. Something was rather disturbing about watching as the girl who called herself Princess Agitha began sprinkling sugar onto the plate of squirming ants.

By the end of the meal, Link had eaten at least five squares of the sticky bread. It was surprisingly good. He just hoped that it really was raisins in that bread, and not bugs.

Agitha hummed and used sugar to lure the ants back into the jar. A whole slice of bread still remained on the plate. What a shame good food went to waste like that. Agitha tossed it aside without a second thought and returned the china to her basket. She stood and dusted herself off.

"You going to Castle Town?"

Agitha nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"I'm heading the same way. I'll go with you."

For the most part, she was quiet, except for the occasional off key humming. She wasn't alert or afraid of any threat that might possibly show itself. Maybe it was just because of his presence, but something told Link that wasn't quite it.

"Where are your parents?"

"Gone."

Agithat didn't even look up. She watched her feet as she walked, taking light, bouncy steps. Was she making sure she didn't step on any bugs?

"Traveling?"

"Maybe. I haven't seen them in a long time."

A sort of gloom fell on Link. What in the world did that mean? Were they dead? Missing? How long had she been alone? There was some comfort in knowing that his parents were dead. He didn't have to wonder if they'd ever come back. To him, not knowing would be far worse than what he had.

"Is someone taking care of you while they're gone?"

"I live by myself, in my castle. My bugs take care of me."

Link nodded, not really sure what to say. The two of them went back to walking together in silence.

* * *

><p>The sky was turning pink, and beginning to cloud over, threatening rain.<p>

Zelda curled a loose lock of hair around her finger and uncurled it again. She sipped her wine. She poked at the pumpkin pudding that was laid out in front of her for dessert. She did anything to distract herself. Things were looking bad, very bad. Impa was still gone, waiting by the castle gates for Link to show up. Her carefully laid escape plan was falling apart in front of her eyes, and there was nothing Zelda could do about it. She was stuck in the dining hall from lunch until dinner while her father sat and planned out her future in front of her without letting her have a say.

"Perhaps something closer to the evening. We could have a grand fireworks display to celebrate."

"Oh, but without the light, how will anyone see her dress?"

"You're right. Maybe in the afternoon."

"But if it's too warm she might faint."

"Yes, yes. That too."

"What if we use lanterns to light the temple gardens? Then there can be fireworks and everyone will be able to see the dress."

What about the girl in the dress? Or was she just supposed to be some living mannequin to show of how much money the King could spend on imported silk and lace?

"Zelda, Darling." Groose leaned in and squinted at her forehead. "You'll have to pluck your eyebrows before the ceremony. They're a bit too thick."

Leave my eyebrows out of this! She wanted to yell. Who cares? If everyone was going to be so focused on the dress who would even bother looking at her face?

She plastered on a fake smile and nodded. "Of course."

Where was Link? Zelda could only take so much Groose before she wanted to choke him.

Something caught her eye from across the room. The door to the dining hall opened just a crack, and Impa peeked inside. When her and Zelda met gazes, she nodded. Zelda felt a sudden rush of adrenaline pump through her veins. Finally.

"Excuse me, Father, Master Groose."

Zelda stood and half walked, half ran out of the hall. She met up with Impa and without a word, they continued to her chamber.

She flung the doors of her bedroom open with such force she startled herself. Link was standing in her room, dirty and tired looking. Before he could greet her, Zelda breezed past him and grabbed the folded stack of clothes off her bed and shoved them into his chest.

"Put those on. Hurry up."

Impa lead him to her sitting room to change. Zelda herself scrambled out of her gown as fast as she could, tearing a sleeve while she was at it. Her blue tunic was back on, her hair done up in a ponytail and her quiver and bag slung over her shoulder. Her sword was strapped to her waist in its sheath.

Link returned, dressed in a green, short sleeved tunic with a white undershirt and baggy pants.

"Where's the cap?"

"I'm not wearing that."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "It's part of the outfit. You know the trouble I went through to get it? It's the exact same tunic the hero wore."

"So it's really old."

Zelda gave him a light push on the shoulders. "Hurry up, or we're going to get caught."

As they passed through the sitting room, Zelda grabbed the green pointed cap off of the table Link had left it on and stuffed it in her bag. If she was forced to wear that dress and sit with Groose and his stupid pompadour, then it was only fair that he'd wear the hat.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Ugh, this one was a pain to write. I just really, _really _don't like it. It sat on my hard drive for weeks, and I tried to make it better, but no. It just won't co-operate. So here is chapter four, in all it's dumb dumbness.


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